The invention relates to a vehicle body and, in particular, to a motor vehicle body having side members, each side member exhibiting pillars, to which a pillar cladding is assigned. A roof side member extends above the pillars of each side member. In the region of the roof side member, a head airbag is assigned, which, when triggered in the region of the C pillar, impinges on the C pillar cladding assigned to the C pillar, and opens the C pillar cladding along a desired opening line, formed by a material recess.
From DE 103 41 641 A1, there is known a vehicle body of a motor vehicle, which exhibits side members with A pillars, B pillars, C pillars and D pillars. A roof side member extends above the pillars of each side member. Each pillar is assigned a pillar cladding. In the area of each roof side member there is a head airbag, which, when triggered, opens the pillar cladding along a desired opening line and/or bending line, which is formed by a material recess.
EP 1 216 891 B1 discloses an additional vehicle body of a motor vehicle, which includes a deformation element in the region of a B pillar, in order to guide in a defined manner a head airbag, which extends in the region of a roof side member, when the head airbag is triggered and, in so doing, is unfolded. Therefore, the disclosed deformation element, which is assigned to the B pillar, exhibits a ramp member with an inclined plane. In this case, the inclined plane of the ramp member defines a direction for the head airbag, so that, when the head airbag is triggered and, thus, when it unfolds, it can be guided into an optimal position relative to the head of an occupant.
The above solutions, known from the state of the art, already offer good guidance for a head airbag when it is triggered and/or unfolded in the region of the B pillar, as well as the D pillar. However, to date there are no known solutions, which make possible a good guidance of the head airbag in the region of the C pillar.
Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a novel vehicle body. This object is achieved by improving the aforementioned vehicle body. According to the invention, the head airbag is assigned a catch strap. In this case, one end of the catch strap engages with the head airbag, and the opposite end of the catch strap engages with the C pillar. Here, the C pillar (or a component, adjacent to the C pillar), is assigned a guide element, which is intended for the head airbag as well as the catch strap, and which, on triggering the head airbag, guides this head airbag as well as the catch strap.
Within the scope of the present invention, when the head airbag is triggered and, in so doing, unfolded, the head airbag is guided in the region of the C pillar by way of the catch strap as well as by way of the guide element. The catch strap engages, on the one side, with the head airbag and, on the other side, with the C pillar and clamps the head airbag, when triggered/unfolded, i.e., deployed, in a predefined position. The guide element serves to guide the head airbag as well as the catch strap when the head airbag is triggered and, thus, unfolded, in order to prevent the head airbag from jamming or snagging when triggered/unfolded.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.